Tiffany McClay
Dr. Fogleman
EDC 102H
27 September 2011 High School Experiences
High school put me where I am today. It was in high school I decided I will be a history teacher. I made amazing, lasting friendships in high school. I had some inspirational teachers, as well. In high school I learned not only history, science, math, and English but how to be a good person and how to follow my dreams. Although many people I graduated high school with would disagree, I found inspiration and encouragement from every person and every corner in Westerly High School.
Mrs. Tallardy was my English teacher in tenth and twelfth grade. She became one of those people I could rely on and trust. More than once when I had a problem I went to her. During senior year I had trouble with some friends, a lot of he said she said things and I was stuck in the middle. I did not know how to handle the situation without losing a friend, so I went to Mrs. Tallardy for advice. She told me to tell my friends I was not choosing sides and they had to figure it out for themselves. The advice seems so simple, but it helped. Mrs. Tallardy has this wisdom about her that I admire. Sometimes just talking to her helped me. It got to the point where she would know if I was down, or frustrated and every time she held out her hand and lent an ear. Right before graduation she asked to have a one on one talk with everyone in the class. I do not know what she said to the other students, but I know what she told me. She said that if I ever needed anything to find her. Just because she would never be my teacher again, did not mean she would not be there for me if I needed her.
Then there was Mr. Servidio, the best history teacher in the school. I always looked forward to his classes. He inspired me to do what I am doing. I hope to follow in his footsteps. Sitting in class all of the students could tell Mr. Servidio loves his job. He never seemed to let all of the politics of teaching get in the way of teaching his students. I want to be just like that!
Senior year I asked Mr. Servidio to write me a college recommendation letter. He happily obliged, writing me the most honest letter out of all of the letters people wrote for me. He had more faith in me than I did! Later, when he asked me where I would be going for college and I told him URI, I found out he also went to URI. So I am already on my way to following in his footsteps.
Throughout high school I dabbled in multiple extracurricular activities. These ranged from a backup Indian in Peter Pan, to volunteering by helping to clean the local beaches. Although I assisted with the coastal clean-up project three times my most influential extracurricular was Ink Bandits. For three years in a row I was an active member of Ink Bandits, an after school creative writing club. Ms. Barnhart, the instructor of the club and an English teacher, showed me how writing can open up a new world. In the club everyone wrote and shared stories, poems, song lyrics or whatever each person preferred. Then we constructively critiqued each other's work to make it better each time. After every class I saw my writing improve little by little.
Ms. Barnhart saw a potential in me no one else did. During my first year in the club, tenth grade, she pushed me to enter a writing contest. I won first place! At that point I realized I had a talent that I had barely touched. Since then I entered the same contest two more times, each time with a new, original short story. My junior year I won third place, and in my senior year I won second place. Now I love to write. I write to relax, and for something to do. My style of choice is short stories. As much as I love writing I do not want to make a career out of it. I am too afraid I will lose the thrill of writing if I am forced to write in order to pay the bills.
Thanks to all of my teachers and great experiences in high school I am now in college following my dreams. I will become a history teacher. I just cannot wait to go back in four years and show everyone who inspired me what has come of me, and to thank them for helping me through everything.
Dr. Fogleman
EDC 102H
27 September 2011
High School Experiences
High school put me where I am today. It was in high school I decided I will be a history teacher. I made amazing, lasting friendships in high school. I had some inspirational teachers, as well. In high school I learned not only history, science, math, and English but how to be a good person and how to follow my dreams. Although many people I graduated high school with would disagree, I found inspiration and encouragement from every person and every corner in Westerly High School.
Mrs. Tallardy was my English teacher in tenth and twelfth grade. She became one of those people I could rely on and trust. More than once when I had a problem I went to her. During senior year I had trouble with some friends, a lot of he said she said things and I was stuck in the middle. I did not know how to handle the situation without losing a friend, so I went to Mrs. Tallardy for advice. She told me to tell my friends I was not choosing sides and they had to figure it out for themselves. The advice seems so simple, but it helped. Mrs. Tallardy has this wisdom about her that I admire. Sometimes just talking to her helped me. It got to the point where she would know if I was down, or frustrated and every time she held out her hand and lent an ear. Right before graduation she asked to have a one on one talk with everyone in the class. I do not know what she said to the other students, but I know what she told me. She said that if I ever needed anything to find her. Just because she would never be my teacher again, did not mean she would not be there for me if I needed her.
Then there was Mr. Servidio, the best history teacher in the school. I always looked forward to his classes. He inspired me to do what I am doing. I hope to follow in his footsteps. Sitting in class all of the students could tell Mr. Servidio loves his job. He never seemed to let all of the politics of teaching get in the way of teaching his students. I want to be just like that!
Senior year I asked Mr. Servidio to write me a college recommendation letter. He happily obliged, writing me the most honest letter out of all of the letters people wrote for me. He had more faith in me than I did! Later, when he asked me where I would be going for college and I told him URI, I found out he also went to URI. So I am already on my way to following in his footsteps.
Throughout high school I dabbled in multiple extracurricular activities. These ranged from a backup Indian in Peter Pan, to volunteering by helping to clean the local beaches. Although I assisted with the coastal clean-up project three times my most influential extracurricular was Ink Bandits. For three years in a row I was an active member of Ink Bandits, an after school creative writing club. Ms. Barnhart, the instructor of the club and an English teacher, showed me how writing can open up a new world. In the club everyone wrote and shared stories, poems, song lyrics or whatever each person preferred. Then we constructively critiqued each other's work to make it better each time. After every class I saw my writing improve little by little.
Ms. Barnhart saw a potential in me no one else did. During my first year in the club, tenth grade, she pushed me to enter a writing contest. I won first place! At that point I realized I had a talent that I had barely touched. Since then I entered the same contest two more times, each time with a new, original short story. My junior year I won third place, and in my senior year I won second place. Now I love to write. I write to relax, and for something to do. My style of choice is short stories. As much as I love writing I do not want to make a career out of it. I am too afraid I will lose the thrill of writing if I am forced to write in order to pay the bills.
Thanks to all of my teachers and great experiences in high school I am now in college following my dreams. I will become a history teacher. I just cannot wait to go back in four years and show everyone who inspired me what has come of me, and to thank them for helping me through everything.